the Exploratorium

alternate title (different cover, same ISBN): Exploring kitchen science.

There is good science in here, but if the instructions and title photos on each 2-page spread go together, they should've put the titles on the left rather than the right. Without reading the fine print, there's nothing to visually link these two pages otherwise, and a person flipping through the book (i.e., EVERYONE) is more likely to assume that the instructions for the photographed experiment follow on the next pages, rather than the preceding, facing page. Is it so hard to put the title of the experiment before the instructions?

My other concern is that, aside from ingredients (which I'll assume aren't that difficult to get your hands on these days if you are reasonably near to a somewhat metropolitan area), there are some odd instruments that most households will not have (I'm looking at you, 2 feet of silicone tubing fitted onto a syringe!) and even for more basic experiments, you'll probably want to buy new eyedroppers, etc. for food experiment use only. And adult supervision should probably also be a given.

That said, there are a few things in here that can be easily done at home (or in a science classroom, so worth checking out if you have reasonable supervision, a lack of fear for food coloring stains, and a modest budget for materials.… (altro)

Books featuring food-based experiments have been around a long time, but Exploring Kitchen Science does a fine job in re-working a staple topic. There are the usual experiments, e.g., food coloring dropped on a plate of milk, but there are also follow-up activities, great photos, and easy-to-understand scientific explanations for each activity under the heading, "What's the Deal?"

http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com… (altro)